Kerala HC slams TDB over misappropriation of ₹40 lakh at Nilakkal petrol pump
Disciplinary proceedings have been initiated against employees involved in the alleged embezzlement.
Disciplinary proceedings have been initiated against employees involved in the alleged embezzlement.
Disciplinary proceedings have been initiated against employees involved in the alleged embezzlement.
The Kerala High Court pulled up the Travancore Devaswom Board over the reported misappropriation of around ₹40 lakh from a petrol pump it runs at Nilakkal, a base camp for Sabarimala pilgrims.
Noting that the Board administers 1,250 temples, a Division Bench of Justice Raja Vijayaraghavan V and Justice K V Jayakumar ordered digitalisation of all accounts and sought a comprehensive report. “This instance appears to be merely the tip of the iceberg. Such gross administrative negligence cannot be allowed to persist,” the court observed.
According to a report submitted by the Joint Director, Kerala State Audit Department of Travancore Devaswom Audit, there were serious discrepancies in the accounts of Sree Ayyappa Fuels. Stock registers were not up-to-date, with the last entry made in July 2024. The audit found delays in remitting daily collections, irregularities in fuel management, and mismatches between financial reports and original records such as sales registers, slips, and vouchers.
Disciplinary proceedings have been initiated against employees involved in the alleged embezzlement. The audit report also recommended urgent safeguards, including a digital record-keeping system to track sales, credit slips, and stock levels in real time.
The Bench noted that the Board was still using outdated manual accounting systems despite a 2015 court directive to fully computerise its operations. “It is shocking that a fuel pump catering to a large volume of vehicles has been permitted to operate without proper accounting mechanisms or real-time monitoring systems,” it said, adding that delays in statutory audits were due to the failure to reconcile accounts.
The court warned that further delay in computerisation would lead to continued misappropriation, compromising temple administration and public trust. It directed the Board to submit a report on steps taken to digitise accounts across all institutions under its control.
“It is the bounden duty of the Board to ensure that a comprehensive, fully functional, and tamper-proof software system is in place at the earliest, so that all revenues and expenditures are captured, monitored, and reconciled on a day-to-day basis,” the Bench said.
The court even listed features the software should include: real-time tracking of receipts, HR integration, oversight of construction approvals, tender monitoring, transparent bidding, and blocking of blacklisted contractors.
(With LiveLaw inputs)